Shootout
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: Jenna and Maria expect their shopping adventure to be the perfect pre-dance activity, but some hardened criminals have other plans. Can they escape from the shootout unharmed? One-shot. Themes inside from my Infinite Arthur Theme List Challenge. PM me for more details.


**SHOOTOUT**

Jenna and Maria entered the mall with a plan. The annual Elwood City High Spring Fling Dance was just days away, and while both girls had their dresses, both were still seeking out the shoes to go with them. They entered the mall at the main entrance and eyed the map. The mall had recently undergone a remodel and a rearranging, so finding the right store could be a problem. The shoe shop they were looking for was completely across the mall, but neither minded the walk as they passed by the central fountain and made their way up the main straightaway.

Jenna looked around the mall excitedly, "Wow, I knew this place would look great when they were done, but I didn't expect this! Ooh, look at the candy shoppe. I hear they have a new cotton candy machine, and sometimes on Saturday nights, they make fake wigs out of the stuff. I heard it's really fun," she said, peering through the window.

"Wow, those wigs probably taste amazing. My mom told me their prices are too expensive though, but it'll be good for a nice treat. Maybe we should get our dates to bring us here after the dance. I don't know how George would feel about that for you. He says you're too sweet for him already," Maria winked.

Jenna groaned, "Again? So he's had an epic crush on me for, like, ever now. I think it's really sweet of him to be so awesome to me. He sent me pictures of the flowers he wants to get me. He wanted to make sure I'm not allergic because he remembered me sneezing a lot when we took that field trip to the botanical gardens in Metropolis."

Maria gasped, "Oh my god, that was forever ago! How long has he liked you?" she asked suspiciously, looking up to Jenna with a concerned expression. Jenna shrugged, beginning to walk up the main walk again. She was trying to dodge the question, but Maria cornered her at the next window, "Oh come on, Jenna, I'm sure he told you how long he's had a crush on you. Or did you know all along? Come on, spill!" she demanded.

Jenna remained focused on the cute t-shirts in the store window, "Hey, that blue one would look really cute on you. And that purple one has an adorable cupcake on it. You should get it. I hear the prices here are-"

"Jenna! You're avoiding the question. How long has George liked you?" Maria demanded, crossing her arms in frustration. Jenna shrugged again and began to walk up the aisle again, but something caught her attention. Maria looked up too as a strange sound filled the air, "Hmm, do they have fireworks here?"

Suddenly, a woman ran past, flailing her shopping bags so hard that an item flew out. Jenna couldn't make out what she was yelling, but Maria understood every word: Someone had a gun. The mall was under fire.

The girls dove into the small clothing shop, hiding with the clerks inside a back storage room. Gunshots filled the air as they huddled together, the room quickly becoming stifling hot as intense emotions ran through each person. Screams could be heard as more and more people ran past the shop, and everyone was concerned about what was going on outside the shop. All they could do is sit out the barrage of bullets while they waited for help to arrive.

Elwood City's SWAT team was underused. The mayor had it out for them because of how little the special unit actually did for the city. In their twelve years of operation, they'd only had about fifteen incidents, but their training cost thousands of dollars each month. They weren't worth it to the city until something major came up, and unfortunately for the mayor's case, the first incident of the year started in the middle of a very intense meeting. Just as he began to make his case to rid the town of its expensive SWAT team and to use Metropolis's units instead, the message rang out: The town's one and only mall was under fire.

The suspects were well-known in the area. Just the previous week, they'd carjacked a woman outside of her daughter's ballet studio, shooting at her and narrowly missing a disabled man walking nearby. The two men were desperate to stay on the run, and this mall shooting was no accidental hit. They wanted to go down swinging, and the mall was just the place to do it. If they didn't get caught up in a shootout with police, they would at least steal some hot merchandise, if they could figure out the new layout of the mall.

When the SWAT team arrived, they were quickly confused by the remodel. No one had said the mall had changed entirely since their last training mission, but blueprints were quickly ordered. Because of the number of shots coming from inside, they had to get in fast. And judging by the number of cars in the parking lot, there were hundreds of possible victims inside. They had to act fast, and after ten minutes of planning, they tapped into the mall's PA system in an attempt to talk the guys down.

Lieutenant Parker Fuller was the first to speak, "Attention, this is Lieutenant Fuller with the ECPD SWAT team. Shoppers, take cover. Shooters, you are to cease fire immediately or risk your own demise. This is your final warning. Stop shooting and surrender at once."

In response, the two criminals fired off more shots. Judging by the sound, they had semi-automatic weapon, and the SWAT team knew they had to act fast. They geared up and looked to their leader for support. Fuller nodded back to them, sending them inside in a formation they'd planned before. The general layout of the mall was different, but the entrances and exits were still the same. They'd do this as they would a drill, the only difference being that this time, there were active shooters firing out live rounds, and death was a real possibility.

The men knew they were in trouble. When they heard the SWAT team enter the building, they broke for the nearest store. Unfortunately for Jenna, Maria, and the sales associates, it was the clothing store they were in. The men turned over displays in an attempt to barricade themselves against the officers. They sat in waiting as the booted men marched around the mall, attempting to find the criminals before they found them.

Jenna was frantic, "We have to tell the police we're in here. What if they shoot at the suspects and hit us?" she whispered, pulling out her cellphone with shaking hands.

The manager tried to stop her, "Stop! What if they hear us and make us hostages?" she whispered fiercely. Jenna understood her reasoning, but something had to be done. She dialed 9-1-1 and began telling the dispatcher her situation with a low voice, but her phone couldn't pick up her voice. She'd have to talk louder, but the manager's warning came with a good message. They had to stay quiet if they wanted to stay safe.

"I'm going to set the phone down. They'll probably shoot again any moment," Jenna whispered, setting her phone down between them. She was sweating as she listened for any more shots. Unlike before, the mall was now completely silent aside from the marching boot steps of the incoming SWAT team. And after a few minutes, the call she'd made to 9-1-1 was ended by the officials.

"Call them back," Maria whispered. "They'll have to take it seriously if you keep calling, even if you can't say anything. Please, just call them back," Maria pleaded. The manager was still skeptical, but Jenna agreed with Maria. The more she called, the more they'd have to listen. So, she dialed them back. And moments after the call was picked up, shots rang out as the criminals spotted their targets, the SWAT team. They fired five shots. One of them connected.

"Man down! Man down!" an officer yelled through the radio. The scene was immediately frantic as the SWAT team took cover inside of stores. The scene was chaos as they tried to figure out where the shots were coming from. Some thought it was the sweets shoppe, others the clothing store. The officers tried to figure out the situation, but the criminals were willing to solve the puzzle for them. When the moment was right, they fired off two more shots, narrowly missing one of the officers.

During the gunfire, Jenna took the opportunity to tell the dispatcher their situation: "There are five of us here. There's gunmen outside in the mall. We're in Vixen 19. Please, tell the cops not to shoot back so they won't hit us," Jenna said frantically.

The message was received. The dispatcher radioed Lieutenant Fuller in his vehicle, who told the inside team. They were about to return fire, but with this new complication, they had to think of something else. Do they wait the men out? Do they try to get them somewhere else? The options were plentiful, but the risks were real. One officer had already taken a round to the arm, and several others were at risk. Add in the five innocent people inside the storage room of the store, and this was a dangerous equation with too many unpleasant outcomes to think about.

Calculations were made, plans were formulated, and after almost an hour of no movement from either team, the negotiations began. The SWAT team wanted to know the criminals' demands, and the men were quick to make their case. They wanted a car with a full tank of gas, a fast car, and a head start on a road trip to Canada. The cops had twenty minutes to do that or the men would fire back at them. Because of the people in the storage room, the police decided to work with them, hoping it would be that easy.

But SWAT situations were never that easy. Ten minutes later, the criminals were antsy. Where was that fast car with the full tank of gas? They fired a warning shot in the officers' direction, then another. They needed that car now without complications. And though nothing of the sort was ready, the officers filed out of the area as carefully as possible, announcing they were clearing away the path to the vehicle.

The bad guys fell for it at first, giving up their position and heading down the main aisle of the mall. But as they reached the front fountain, they knew something was up. They hid behind food court tables as shots rang out. They were being fired on, and because there were so many officers, they didn't have time to pinpoint a location to fire back. So they did what all stupid criminals do: They just started firing back with everything they had, sending hundreds of bullets into the newly renovated mall. Bullet holes filled every wall, but none of the shots came close to hitting the police.

In fact, the only one who'd taken a hit was the main criminal, the older of the two. He was the one who made the decisions, who knew the right thing to do. This was his idea, but with a bullet wound to the gut, he had to make a decision: Go out in a blaze of glory or end everything while they were still alive. The decision was difficult, and unfortunately for him, it was one made by his partner. He reloaded and stood up to shoot. He never got off a shot before the police took him down. Feeling responsible yet trapped, the wounded gunman stood up and aimed his empty gun at the cops. He was dead within seconds.

With the shootout over, the mall was soon cleared of people. No patrons were hurt in the shooting spree or the shootout, but all of them were badly shaken up, including Maria and Jenna. They were terrified to know they were so close to the gunmen, but both were curious about the case. When more details were released the next day, they eagerly listened to the news report.

"Elwood City's mayor is calling yesterday's incident at the mall a miracle after SWAT team officials killed two brazen suspects in a shootout where over three hundred shots were fired. Police say the two suspects, Marco Thompson and Leo Walker, were on a multi-state crime spree when they decided to compile their resources and enter the Elwood City's newly renovated mall. Police are still unsure as to what they were doing, but experts believe this was their final stand, and that their deaths were all part of the plan. The mall is currently closed while the investigation continues. It will reopen once the damaged is repaired."

The town was shaken by the incident, but life moved on slowly. The girls enjoyed their dance, and lives pushed on as always. And thankfully for the SWAT team of Elwood City, the mayor decided they were a good investment after all.

~End

Theme 147: Shopping Nightmare

Theme 195: Crime Spree

Theme 198: Shootout

The themes are from my Arthur Infinite Theme List challenge. For more info, see my profile. For the complete list, see my deviantArt account, SS-Chrys.

I wanted to make this a little longer, but I was in a crunch for time and needed to get it finished. I might rewrite it later to lengthen it out, but we'll see. We all know how I am about editing:D I hope you guys liked this compressed version anyway. Oh, and I want to do more with this George x Jenna thing. I might do an accompanying one-shot for that later on, and if I do, I'll add it to my "Crushed Hearts" collab series. For more info on that, see my profile or ask me about it.

[Written 6/13/2015]


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